Explanations ■ Words ending in -ful There is only one / when -ful is a suffix. useful helpful ■ Doubling of consonants Adjectives form adverbs by adding -ly. usefully helpfully Words with one syllable, ending in one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant when adding -ing, -ed or -er. swim swimming fit fitted thin thinner Most two-syllable words ending in one vowel and one consonant also double the last consonant, especially when the stress is on the second syllable. prefer preferred BUT bother bothering A common exception is travel traveller. u Words ending in -y One syllable nouns ending -y change -y to -i in plurals. One-syllable verbs ending -y also change -y to -i in the present simple and past simple. spy spies try tries tried But one-syllable words ending in one vowel and -y do not change. boy boys One-syllable words do not change when we add -ful and -ness. joy joyful shy shyness Two-syllable words change. reply replies replied happy happiness beauty beautiful But two-syllable words ending in one vowel and -y do not change. destroy destroyed These rules do not apply when we add -ing. try trying study studying annoy annoying ■ Words with ie and ei The general rule is i before e except after c, as long as the sound is /i:/. receive relief BUT feign (the sound is not /i:/) GRAMMAR 34 SPELLING AND PRONUNCIATION Spelling and pronunciation In English, one spelling can have different sounds, and the same sound can have different spellings. Note the ways of spelling the underlined sounds in each list below. If you check the pronunciation of the whole word by looking at the phonetic script in a dictionary you will find that the sound / a / (called schwa) is very common in English. It is always unstressed. If you beat the rhythm of a word with your hand then / a / is often the 'up' (unstressed) beat. Vowel sounds / A / love sudden blood cuff /3U/ boat post although know /es/ air there bare wear / a:/ heart part staff ask / 3:/ word heard further expert /au/ now shout plough drown / 0 / lot stop off /ei/ wait gate weight great /ai/ bright height site eye / o:/ door pour daughter schwa / a / potato around suggest perhaps Rough London brother toe hurt lay necklace ■ Consonant sounds / J / shame delicious / tj / church furniture / 3 / leisure confusion ■ Words ending in -ough Like now plough bough Like cuff enough rough Like toe though dough Like off cough position watches measure insurance tough Words containing -st where t is not pronounced listen glisten hasten fasten castle whistle bristle mistletoe Words containing -mb and -bt where b is not pronounced plumber thumb comb lamb dumb debt doubt subtle tomb 197 FIRST CERTIFICATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE Practice Correct any words spelled incorrectly. a) studing MfdyW0„. b) destroying ...................... c) donkies ...................... d) flys ...................... e) niece ...................... f) hurryed ...................... g) furnichure ...................... h) enough ...................... i) wellcome ...................... j) hotter ...................... k) reciept ...................... 1) wonderfull ...................... m) swimming ...................... n) regreted ...................... 0) hopefuly ...................... p) applying ...................... q) heard ...................... r) inshurance ...................... s) happily ...................... t) advertisment ...................... 2 Find a word from the box which rhymes with each word given. home go a) church b) hate c) rough d) throw e) comb f) dumb g) plough h) height 1) summer j) pour ":Wm white search store stuff come plumber wait cow starch 198 GRAMMAR 34 SPELLING AND PRONUNCIATION 3 Write each word ending in the suffix given. a) supply (ing) JMP.tyW&.. b) destroy (ed) ...................... c) apply (ed) ...................... d) lonely (ness) ...................... e) employ (s) ...................... f) cry(s) ...................... g) silly (ness) ...................... h) annoy (s) ...................... i) beauty (ful) ...................... j) pretty (ness) ...................... 4 Find one word in each group of words which does not have the same vowel sound (sounds are underlined in two-syllable words). a) become sung company cold flood.......0.14........ b) plate treat wait weight great...................... c) lose used choose blouse few...................... d) doubt bough ought now shout...................... e) lost post toast ghost host...................... f) mist missed list iced kissed...................... g) love done gone sunk won...................... h) bird search heart word church...................... i) two show though go owe...................... j) about wonder suppose refer colour...................... 5 Correct any words spelled incorrectly. a) sincerly JM^.^..,, dictionry b) different ...................... intresting c) loverly ...................... necessary d) writing ...................... unninteresting e) pulover ...................... definitly f) friend ...................... responsable g) holliday ....................... quantity h) likelihood ...................... lugage i) impatient ...................... studient j) finaly ...................... pavement 199